By Naveed Khan
ISLAMABAD: Amid fierce clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and law enforcers, business and social life in Islamabad and the neighbouring garrison city Rawalpindi came to a grinding halt on Tuesday, amplifying the miseries of citizens confined to their homes for the third consecutive day.
The protestors are seeking the release of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases that his party says are politically motivated.
“These are tough times for people like us,” said Saeed Khan, a fruit seller in the Sector G-13 area of the federal capital as he anxiously stared at his fast-rotting stock in the face of vanishing customers.
The curfew-like situation has forced many like him to go hungry.
“Ordinary people are in a state of limbo for days and no one pays attention,” lamented a daily wage worker as he returned empty-handed for the 3rd consecutive day of the lockdown.
The ongoing turmoil has brought economic activities to a standstill.
Ajmal Baloch, President of the All-Pakistan Traders Association, expressed deep concern saying, “Business activities have come to a grinding halt, and communities are in distress.”
He said goods transporters have halted operations, causing prices of essential items to skyrocket.
Containers meant for deliveries are stranded on roads, leading to shortages of essential items. “There are fears of food shortages across the country,” Baloch said as he warned that perishable goods like fruits and vegetables have already started rotting.
Dairy supplies have also been disrupted, affecting households that rely on daily deliveries.
Hajra, a mother of four, said “I visited several milk shops for hours and could not find milk for my 2-year-old”. A shop owner, Naimat Ullah, in Islamabad, was heartbroken when he said, “I have plenty of milk back on my farm which is going to be wasted.”
Those particularly affected are patients and their relatives as the health sector is facing unprecedented challenges.
Ambulances were seen stuck on roads due to the blockades, delaying critical medical care. In one instance, when an ambulance carrying a patient was not allowed to cross a barricade on the Jhelum Bridge, in northern Punjab, despite repeated pleas, the patient died.
The lockdown has also forced educational institutions’ closure, jeopardising the academic prospects of pupils.
The unrest has also taken an emotional toll on the people already strained by inflation, terrorism and a rising rate of unemployment.
Previously as part of a broader action to deter the protestors from reaching their final destination, hotels and hostels were ordered to cease operations, forcing occupants, especially students belonging to far-flung areas living in the federal capital, to fend for themselves.
“We cannot live in peace and study in our rooms; we were asked to leave the city like we are aliens and that, too, when the roads are closed,” said Malik Usama and Riaz Waheed, who reside in Islamabad for their studies.
Commenting on the economic toll of the unrest, the country’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated that the protests were causing a daily loss of $688.2 million to the federal government.
